Trump Names Massad Boulos as Mideast Adviser
Pres.-elect Donald Trump on Sunday appointed Lebanese-American businessman Massad Boulos as senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, marking the second family-connected appointment following Charles Kushner's nomination as French ambassador....
Facts
- Pres.-elect Donald Trump on Sunday appointed Lebanese-American businessman Massad Boulos as senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, marking the second family-connected appointment following Charles Kushner's nomination as French ambassador.[1][2]
- Boulos, a billionaire with extensive business connections in Nigeria and Lebanon, is the father of Michael Boulos, who married Trump's daughter Tiffany in November 2022 at Mar-a-Lago.[3]
- During Trump's campaign, Boulos led outreach efforts to Arab-American communities, organizing numerous meetings across Michigan and other states with significant Arab populations.[3]
- Campaign officials credited Boulos with helping flip some of the 300K Arab-Americans and Muslims in Michigan who previously supported Pres. Joe Biden then became frustrated with his policies regarding Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon.[3]
- Born in Lebanon, Boulos moved to Texas as a teenager, attended the University of Houston, and became a US citizen. He later established himself as Chief Executive Officer of Boulos Enterprises and SCOA Nigeria.[4]
- Boulos is a friend of Suleiman Frangieh, a Christian associate of Hezbollah and that organization's candidate for president of Lebanon. Boulos' father-in-law helped fund the Free Patriotic Movement, which is aligned with Hezbollah.[5]
Sources: [1]New York Times, [2]CNN, [3]FOX News, [4]Independent and [5]Reuters.
Narratives
- Republican narrative, as provided by Breitbart. This appointment demonstrates Trump's strategic approach to Middle East relations, leveraging Boulos's extensive regional connections and successful outreach to Arab-American voters to build new coalitions and promote peace in the region.
- Democratic narrative, as provided by The New Republic. The selection raises serious concerns about nepotism and potential conflicts of interest, following a pattern of Trump appointing family members to key positions, while questions persist about influence and power among Trump's family members in government.
